Wales women ready for rugby World Cup
ARFON and Llŷn are well represented in the national squad for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup, which kicks off in Dublin on Wednesday, August 9.
Rachel Taylor, Dyddgu Hywel, Elen Evans, Morfudd Ifans, Gwenllian Pyrs and Jess Kavanagh-Williams, who have all played for Caernarfon, are among those included in the 28-strong party to compete in Ireland.
For 34-year-old flanker Taylor, it will be a third World Cup.
Now a major figure in the development of the RGC women’s side, the former Wales skipper has won 61 caps for her country.
Full-back Hywel, 28, has represented Wales on 27 occasions since making her international debut against Ireland in 2013.
Thirty one year-old centre Evans and wing Kavanagh-Williams, 27, of Maentwrog, near Pwllheli, who are now both with the Scarlets, are selected in the backs.
Loosehead prop Pyrs, of Ysbyty Ifan, is from the same village as teammate Hywel, while hooker Ifans is a Pwllheli girl.
Hooker Carys Phillips will continue to lead Wales from the front as captain, in what is being seen as the most challenging pool of the competition.
The Welsh face New Zealand, Canada - second and third seeds respectively - and Hong Kong over the course of eight days.
Head coach Rowland Phillips said: “There’s a tremendous amount of excitement within the squad for those pool games.”
Warm-up matches against Japan, Spain and England have given Wales confidence heading into the biggest edition of the tournament to date.
Phillips added: “We started with a squad of 50, which had to be whittled down to 28, so there’s inevitably going to be disappointment for some players.
“Our job as coaches is to make sure that we’ve made the right decisions.” Wales Women’s World Cup squad: Forwards: Alisha Butchers (Scarlets); Mel Clay (Ospreys); Amy Evans (Ospreys); Lleucu George (Scarlets); Cerys Hale (Dragons); Sioned Harries (Scarlets); Morfudd Ifans (Scarlets); Kelsey Jones (Ospreys); Siwan Lillicrap (Ospreys); Carys Phillips (cap- tain, Ospreys); Shona Powell-Hughes (Ospreys); Gwenllian Pyrs (Scarlets); Rebecca Rowe (Dragons); Rachel Taylor (Scarlets); Caryl Thomas (Scarlets); Megan York (Dragons).
Backs: Keira Bevan (Ospreys); Elen Evans (Scarlets); Jodie Evans (Scarlets); Rebecca De Filippo (Dragons); Dyddgu Hywel (Scarlets); Hannah Jones (Scarlets); Jasmine Joyce (Scarlets); Sian Moore (Dragons); Jess Kavanagh-Williams (Scarlets); Gemma Rowland (Dragons); Elinor Snowsill (Dragons); Robyn Wilkins (Ospreys).
Pool A fixtures: New Zealand v Wales, Wednesday August 9 (14.45), Billings Park UCD; Canada v Wales, Sunday, August 13 (17.00), Billings Park UCD; Wales v Hong Kong, Thursday, August 17 (17.15), UCD Bowl.